Don Pardo News, Pictures, and Videos

Darrell Hammond, Saturday Night Live‘s longest running cast member from 1995-2009, will be returning to the show as the official announcer after Don Pardo‘s tragic passing.

The 58-year-old comedian will officially announce the cast members names and introduce the show each week – Don had the job since for over 35 years but passed away over the summer.

“I just knew it wouldn’t be anybody who sounded like Don or replicated him,” the show’s longtime running man Lorne Michaels told USA Today. “It can’t be what it was, but it could sort of be in the same tradition. And it will be nice to have Darrell around. He understands the show and will probably be helpful in ways we haven’t yet figured out.”